Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:01 One of the most common prejudices. Oh, the modern intellectual leaks is an absolute rejection of even the possibility that a miracle could take place. Ernest, Bruna, and he's the 19th century French infidel has perhaps the best summary of this attitude. Cool. No miracle has ever taken place under conditions which science can accept experience shown it without exception, miracles occur only in times and in countries in which miracles are believed in and in the presence of persons who are disposed to believe in them close quo. So today we're going to consider America, which completely defies man's claims American, which took place under conditions which science can accept. It's certainly in the presence of persons not disposed to believe in it. But before we do that, let's back up and briefly consider the answers to several questions. First, what exactly is a miracle? Second, what sort of evidence is required to determine whether or not a miracle has occurred? And third, what is the point of a miracle? What do we meant to take away from it?
Speaker 1 01:23 Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:25 So first, what exactly is a miracle? A miracle is an occurrence outside the course of nature that we can perceive with our senses, which can only be explained as the direct act of God, Americans and occurrence outside of the course of nature, which we can exclude. We experienced with our senses, we perceive it, and it can only be explained as a direct, uh, of God himself. So how do we go about determining in any given case whether or not America's actually occurred? The 1930 Catholic encyclopedic explains that a miracle, like any natural event is known either from personal observation or from the testimony of others. The general rules governing the acceptance of testimony apply to miracles as to other facts of history. If we have certain evidence for the fact we're bound excepted, we have no more rational war for rejection, miracles then for rejecting accounts of solar eclipses.
Speaker 0 02:31 The point is that Americal at its most fundamental level is simply historical fat. In other words, at the most fundamental level, fully in the reality of any particular miracle has exactly the same basis as our belief in any other historical fact. For example, that there actually was a battle of the Alamo that Dwight Eisenhower actually was the president of the United States. It's important to keep in mind that although a miracle is an act of God, a recognizable and astonishing after God, it doesn't take faith as such to recognize the miracle after all the fair season Sadducees certainly recognize the fact that our lord had raised Lazarus from the dead, but no one's going to go accusing them with having faith hardly. So a miracle like any natural event is known either from personal observation, from the testimony of others. The general rules governing this accepted of testimony apply to miracles as to other historical facts.
Speaker 0 03:36 So what are the general rules for determining questions of history such as miracles, questions of histories, historical statements, historical claims are determined on the basis of evidence. We want them to determine the reliability of the truth of the historical claim. We look at the evidence, for example, are there witnesses, other documents, other artifacts, artifacts that things I tape, recordings, movies, the photograph, a monument footprint and so forth. Are these witnesses, documents, et Cetera, consistent? Are they reliable? Those are the kinds of ways we weighted evidence and in fact, the church yourself approaches the question of miracles in this fashion before the church, Paul claims authenticity of any miracle. There's supposed to be a rigorous Vestigo <inaudible> along these very lines, if reliable, consistent witnesses testify to particular events. For example, eye witnesses describe the healing it lords. If reliable documentation testifies to particular event, for example, medical records, documentation descriptions of the person before and after the healing.
Speaker 0 04:49 If there are artifacts that support and cooperate the descriptions of this particular event. For example, there's photographs and extras of the person before the healing and afterwards. Then it is a height of arrogance and it's a clear demonstration of profound level of blindness to deny the reality of such a miracle. In fact, this would be the deliberate rejection of the known truth, which is a very, very serious intellectual sin. Now, one common objections that miracles are not scientific, whatever that means, but someone pointed out years ago, science has added absolutely nothing to our knowledge that makes a miracle any more astonishing or any less believable. For example, since the days of Adam, everyone is known that is stone released from the hand falls to the ground. If by miracle the stone should be suspended in the air all of a sudden that America would not be the slightest bit more astonishing today just because science has given a name, gravity to the law by the stone has fallen, or because the scientists can do sophisticated calculations at the rate by which the stone shouldn't fall.
Speaker 0 06:07 We also need to keep in mind there's absolutely no difference between the trust we place in scientists to accurately report their observations and the trust we place in other eyewitnesses to accurately report observations of historical events. In either case, whether we're dealing with an absolutely unique historical event or we're dealing with repeatable experimental results in a lab, we're still dealing with human testimony, so we judged the claims of miracles like any other historical question, are there witnesses, other documents, other artifacts, all these things consistent, are they reliable? So we've considered what a miracle is and how we assess it. But now let's call this one last very important question. Why does God perform a miracle?
Speaker 2 07:02 What's the point?
Speaker 0 07:05 Well, every miracle on the first place is for the glory of God and the good of man that's in the first place. But there are also secondary reasons for a miracle. For example, sometimes God performance and miracle as a witness to the true holiness of one of his special friends. We can think of all the miracles done by padre peel as a witness to the authentic holiness, a pottery peel. Sometimes he, he performed some miracle in order to confirm a doctrine of faith or morals. We think especially the eucharistic miracles, we see the bleeding or the host of turn into flesh. So that's another reason he does it and sometimes he performs. America confirmed the truth of a divine mission and we can think of the miracles the apostles went up there preaching religion. It's very hard for all of us because we, we have to, you know, it makes demands on everybody, but they're doing all these miracles to show that they have a divine mission.
Speaker 0 07:57 If the mission is true. Did the miracles point to the fact this mission should be believed? No. All that. By way of introduction today, I'm gonna spend some time considering a miracle which completely defies Vernon's claims the no American has ever taken place under conditions which science can accept without exception, miracles occur only in times and in countries in which miracles are believed in and in the presence of persons that are disposed to believe in them. Although we're obviously all familiar with this miracle, there are two good reasons to spend some time taking a closer look. First, because we all have family, friends, and acquaintances who aren't living an authentic Catholic life, upper wraps. I've never been given this priceless gift of faith. And since it doesn't take faith to recognize a miracle, if we make a good case to our friends, relatives, that this particular miracle is a historical fact, that is the potential to open door to authentic faith.
Speaker 0 08:57 That really happens as people. So that's in the first case. And the second reason is because this miracle in itself has a profound meaning and it also confirms the truth of a message that's of the utmost importance to each one of us here. So we're going to turn to the American question. We are going to consider today from the point of view of historical event. The miracle is the miracle and the sun just took place in October 13th, 1917 of course, the first apparition of our lady at Fatima was on this day in 1917 at the time of the miracle, Portugal was ruled by the Freemasons for months, oh secular and now this was the liberal anti clerical daily newspaper and Lisbon for months that had been regularly mocking the events and Fatima both in cartoons, in articles reporting on the July operation in mocking tones. The paper reported and I quote the children in toned a funeral chant made epileptic gestures and fell and ecstasy close quote and according to the paper, the real reason for all the commotion up there at Fatima where all these Catholic hillbillies were up there living. The real reason for this is the clergy were hoping to make a pile of money by discovering a new source of mineral water just like they'd done over at lords and all this plastic. This nonsense was actually welcomed by the readership because at that time, Elizabeth had fallen on such rough times that by 1915 had been proclaimed the atheistic capital of the world.
Speaker 0 10:41 How many witnesses were present at the miracle? The majority of historians estimate that on October 13th there a minimum of 70,000 witnesses in that crowd. FATTOM why such a great number? Because for three months since July 13th three small children who could neither read nor write the CFO Santos is 10 years old and her cousins, Francisco Marco, who's nine into Cinco Marta, who's seven, had been predicting that our lady would perform a great miracle on October 13th and that's why at least 70,000 witnesses were present. Men from all social classes and cultural levels, the undecided, but curious, the faithful, they were confident of seeing a miracle. Scientists, skeptics, unbelievers, and even fanatics, they're all gathered side-by-side the Fatima, and that's also why this is an unparalleled historical event. An incredible number of witnesses. We could set testimonies for hours for the of time. We'll simply glance at a few testimonies of eyewitnesses.
Speaker 0 11:56 As one historian notes quote, the witnesses of the event were indeed innumerable. Their testimonies agree and we are flooded with a documents they have left us closed quo, so we'll just cut and splice quotes throughout. Although the rain had been steadily pelting down all morning, it suddenly stopped and justice. Suddenly the sky cleared. This abrupt change of weather took all the eyewitnesses by surprise. It was a day of heavy and continuous rain, but a few minutes before the miracle it stopped raining. Suddenly all the clouds disappeared without the slightest breeze and the sun was shining in a clear sky. There were also changes of color in the atmosphere. I saw everything had assumed an amethyst color objects around me. The Sky and the atmosphere were of the same color. Soon I heard a peasant who is near me, shout out in town tones of amazement. Look, that lady is all yellow.
Speaker 0 13:06 In fact, everything both near and far had changed. My own hand was the same color, close quotes, so the miracles started with the sun. The rain suddenly stopping the sky clearing. Then the sunlight goes to the different colors of the rainbow for description of what happened next, we'll turn to Alpha, you know, and Dale Meda. Now this guy not possibly be accused of being a favorable witness cause he's the chief editor of Hoe Saeculum, the Free Masonic daily newspaper and he's up there specifically to report on the events is a hostile witness. This account's taken from his newspaper article quote, and then we witnessed a unique spectacle and incredible spectacle. Unbelievable. If you did not witness it from the road where the characters were crowded together, there were hundreds of persons that stayed for one, have sufficient courage to advance across the muddy ground. We saw the huge crowd turn towards the sun, which appeared at the scene.
Speaker 0 14:08 It clear of the clouds resemble the disc of silver and it was possible to stare at it without the lease discomfort. It did not burn the eyes. It did not blind. We would say that it produced an eclipse. Then a tremendous cry rang out and the crowd nearest us. We heard the shot, miracle, miracle, marvel, marvel. The attitude of the people takes us back to biblical times, dumbfounded with heads and covered. They contemplated the blue SCA before their Daz dies, the sun tremble. It made strange and abrupt movements outside of all cause in the clause and according to the typical expression of the peasants, the son danced close quo Novo. He was attacked violently by his colleagues in the anti clerical press. 15 days later he renewed his testimony and this time he also published a dozen photographs to the crowd. This immense crowd and he repeats through the article.
Speaker 0 15:12 This refrain I saw, I saw, I saw, he concludes miracle. As the people shouted, natural phenomenon as experts say for the moment. That does not concern me. I am only affirming what I saw. The rest is a matter for science and the church close quote. So if you've seen pictures of the crop looking up there, there were studies, you've looked at him, you'll notice almost nobody has shaded their eyes. All these people looking up there and you can see the sunlight fall in their face. Those pictures were taken by the free man. Free Masonic newspaper. That's where we get the pictures. It's from the Freemasons of all people. The most terrifying aspect of the miracle took place. Immediately after the dance, the sun, the sun seemed to suddenly plunge towards the earth. CWO then suddenly one heard a clamor, a cry of anguish breaking from all the people.
Speaker 0 16:13 The Sun whirling wildly seemed all it wants to loosen itself from the firmament and blood red plunge towards the earth, threatening to crush us with its huge and fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was truly terrible. It seemed like a wheel of fire, which was going to fall in the people, close quotes and quote everyone within an area. 32 miles thought it was the end of the world. One witness is later contractor in California was about 18 kilometers away from Faderman. He was 12 years old and he was hurting sheet. He said, I can't remember to this day what happened to the sheet. All I could remember is it this fireball came John upon earth and I knew that I was about to be burned alive and I ran and I ran and I ran. All I can remember is my fear and I've often waked up at night running from the fire.
Speaker 2 17:37 Cool.
Speaker 0 17:38 We thought it was the end of the world, the fire, the sun was on top of us at the time the fire was on. There were shots. Parents were throwing themselves to cover their children. People were shouting out their sins out lot, confessing, crying for mercy. They fell to their knees in the mud and the water confessed their sins and cried for mercy. And what happened? The fire went back into this guy
Speaker 2 18:11 close, cool.
Speaker 0 18:15 And all those people for the most part, self to the bone, we're amazed to discover they were dry
Speaker 2 18:23 and it still is the ground. Cool.
Speaker 0 18:26 This enormous multitude was drenched. Fred rained unceasingly since dawn, but all this may appear credible. After the great miracle, everyone felt comfortable and thought his garments quite dry. A subject of general wonder, my suit dried in an instant. The moment one with least expected. Our clothes were totally dry,
Speaker 2 18:49 close quotes
Speaker 0 18:53 to those who might claim that the miracle was a product of mass hysteria or math gnosis God himself prearranged a rebuttal, perfectly credible witnesses who are very far from Fadiman southern miracle. His son, for example, the whole village <inaudible> tell now in this village is 20 kilometers from Fatima, and they thought this was a bunch of nonsense that these, these Catholic children over in Fatima were making this stuff up and why would you waste your time to go over there? So there were people going on the road to there and they were making fun of him. Why are you wasting your time to go listen to these three little kids? That's nuts. So they didn't believe it at all. The whole village saw the miracles son, father, natural rents or recalls, quote. I was only nine years old at this time and I went to the local village school.
Speaker 2 19:42 Okay.
Speaker 0 19:42 At about mid date, we were surprised by the shouts and cries of some men and women were passing the street. The teacher. A good pious woman was the first run into the road with the children after her outside. The people were shouting and weeping and pointing to the sun. It was the great miracle which one could see quite distinctly from the top of the hill where my village was located. Objects around us turned all the colors of the rainbow. I feel incapable of describing what I saw and felt. I looked fixedly at the sun, which seemed Pale, did not hurt the eyes looking like a ball of snow revolving upon itself. It's suddenly seemed to come down and the zigzag menacing the earth. Terrified. I ran and hid myself among the people who are weeping and expecting the end of the world. At any moment,
Speaker 2 20:40 close quote,
Speaker 0 20:45 at least 70,000 witnesses braving the rain in the mud. Suddenly the sky clears. The Sun shoots at all the colors that rainfall at worlds and spins and dances and then breaks free and hurdles towards your people, convinced that they're about to be burned alive, fallen to their knees in the mud, in the water, crying out their sins, calling for mercy. Then the center trees like me, everyone in dry clothes on dry ground,
Speaker 0 21:21 at least 70,000 witnesses. Many of them not believers. Remember that America, like any natural event is known either from personal observation or from the testimony of witnesses. The general rules governing the acceptance of testimony apply to miracles as to any other fact of history. The evidence for miracles as is for historical facts in general depends on knowledge. And vrs is the narrator's such testimony. We are not free to reach yet, otherwise you must deny all history whatsoever. We have certain evidence for the fact we're bound to accepted. We have no more rational warrant for rejecting miracles. Central rejected because of solar eclipses. So what have we seen? We've heard only a snippet of testimonials from witnesses and the miracle is his son, some of whom were radical anti Catholics, some of whom were believers, all of whom were there in response to an unprecedented prophecy, a prediction that a miracle would take place on that day.
Speaker 0 22:35 At that time. And in that place, the believers were there in anticipation of seeing a miracle. The atheist and the antique clerical plus were there with their smirks firmly in place. Looking forward to being able to deal with the crushing blow to the medieval superstitions of these people. They considered the Catholic morons, their accounts published before the miracle, mocking the predictions. They're photographs of the crowd, their testimonies written take and film from massive numbers of the 77,000 witnesses. There are distant witnesses who could not possibly be accused of being an influence of some sort of so-called massive gnosis. A group suggestion. The conclusion is obvious. The miracle. The Sun is a historical fat here, plain and simple. If after considering the evidence someone still wouldn't believe the miracle his son actually happened, then it's perfectly reasonable. Ask him on what basis does he believe the battle of the Alamo happened there sure weren't. 70,000 witnesses to that are easier yet. Just ask him his birthday and ask him on what basis does he believe that to be true? Cause he probably wants 70,000 witnesses to that. I think.
Speaker 2 24:07 Okay.
Speaker 0 24:07 The miracle, the sun and the prophecy, the miracle three months in advance are verifiable historical fast. It's obvious that both the precise fulfillment of that prophecy date, time and place as well as the events, the miracle itself can only be explained as a direct act of God himself in history. Now let's ask one last few important questions. Just why did God perform that miracle? Well, obviously it confirms the truth that our lady was appearing and had a message. So the miracle points to the message, but the miracle itself wasn't some sort of random event. God never acts without a purpose. The miracle itself has a meaning. It's meant to tell us something. So what does the miracle mean in itself?
Speaker 2 25:13 <inaudible>
Speaker 0 25:15 well, in this case, the apocalyptic overtones are obvious. That's not reading something into the mirror. Clap for the fact, as we just heard, the witnesses themselves were convinced it was the end of the world. The year nearly unanimous reaction to witnesses is that they were, see the end of the world does the apocalyptic imagery, and this is also consistent with the tradition of the church and that regard. A few statements made by great doctor, the church Saint Alphonsus, the glory, a Well-worth Ponder, Saint Alphonsus Saint Matthew speaks of another sign of the end of the world. In Matthew 24 29 he says, quote in the powers of Heaven shall be moved close call some understand this to me, tremor in unusual movements which will occur in the heavens. That is the firmness of the heavens. We'll see, be laughing as they will tremble before lord comes to judge the world.
Speaker 2 26:30 Close call and call.
Speaker 0 26:34 The coming of the judge will be proceeded by fire. Fire will descend heaven and she'll burn the earth in all things upon the earth. The earth defiled by sin must be purified by fine, close call Saint Alphonsus in regards to the meaning of the miracle itself. In my personal opinion, that's all it is, is it the dom corp which suddenly see fall immediately by the clearing of the sky and then the sun shooting out various colors. All that's meant to remind us of the great flood and the rainbow, which is the visible sign that God will never destroy the world with water. And Cam, the dancing. The Sun is terminus of the powers of having been moved before they did a judgement and the falling of the sun is metro minus the fire from the sky is both scripture and tradition assure us we'll destroy the world.
Speaker 0 27:52 According to Saint Augusta and Saint Gregory, the great no warn mankind bought the flood, the coming flood for a full hundred years until it struck and wiped him out. I think anybody that's ready to scriptures, no can work for any people that took his warning seriously at all were there. I take the miracle. His son has a very, very clear warning from our lady about upcoming events, a wake up call for all those who have eyes to see, but as it was in the days, no, so it is in Rd. Not very many people seem to be taking her warnings. Seriously. Y'All didn't. Now Father Regis scammer has a slightly different view.
Speaker 2 28:47 Cool.
Speaker 0 28:48 Saint Peter says it, God punish the ancient world at the time of Noah and Solomon Kamora thereby showing what would happen in the future to the gods. That's the second Peter Chapter Two verses five through nine most likely the rain symbolizes the punishment of the flood at Noah's time, and the sun symbolizes the fire from the sky, a destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. And unless we change our ways, the same thing will happen to us close call. So we considered the meaning of the miracle in itself briefly. Now, let's consider it from the point of view of being an unmistakable confirmation. There lady had been speaking to the children. God never acts without a purpose, and so the miracle his son a miracle, which we see unprecedented proportions is this sign pointing towards a corresponding message of unprecedented importance, a miracle of unprecedented proportions points towards the miracle of unprecedented importance. And that regard, we'll close with a reflection from famous mainstream Italian churn or journalist Antonio Sochi, in which he speaks of the extraordinary character of the message.
Speaker 2 30:22 Cool.
Speaker 0 30:24 The FATTOM event has received on the part of the church, which in general is always very cautious concerning supernatural phenomena, a recognition without equal in history and which places this apparition and this message objectively, above and beyond all of the so-called private revelations, all of the succeeding Pope's have accredited the apparitions with official discourses, act and pilgrimages, often invoking biblical comparisons. The third part of the secret that for the entire 20th century had fed apocalyptic groomers was revealed by the holy sea with an official approbation that also has no precedent in Christian history. In fact, all the previous apparitions continue prophetic message for humanity have been made public informally without engaging the authority of the church. But in the case of the third part of the secret of Fatima, the contrary has happened when after a long and dramatic deliberation, DePaul personally decided to publish the text to the third secret.
Speaker 0 31:51 It was announced in the most solemn manner from the sanctuary of Fatima before the pope and the visionary by the Vatican Secretary of state, and it was even published on June 26 2000 with the accompaniment of a theological commentary by the highest doctrinal authority in Church next to the Pole, Colonel Joseph Ratzinger. Prefect of the former holy office who presented the text to the secret and his commentary at nothing less than a press conference televised worldwide is really impossible. After all this, to continue to speak of a private revelation and of the importance of the message, the exceptional words pronounced by John Paul to say exactly the opposite, you'd hear, I call it the Holy Father, the Po made by Mary. Our mother at Fatima is such that the whole church feels obligated to respond to the requests of our lady. The message imposes an obligation on her, on the church, close. Cool.
Speaker 0 33:09 It's really impossible after all this to continue to speak of a private revelation of relative importance of the message, the appeal made by Mary, our mother at Fatima is such that the whole church feels obligated to respond to their quests of our lead. The message imposes an obligation on the church. God never acts without a purpose. And so a miracle like this miracle of unprecedented proportions points towards a corresponding message of unprecedented importance. The apocalyptic overtones in the miracle itself, point towards apocalyptic overtones in the message over the course of time will meditate on that message and its meaning for each one of us.
